Promoting Health Action Plan Introduction
This action plan will define Domestic Abuse and identify the need to promote awareness of this issue setting the aims of the promotion, recourses used to achieve these aims, and achieve a successful health promotion on Thursday 03 May 2007.
What is Domestic Abuse?
Domestic abuse as defined by Women's Aid's is “physical, sexual, psychological or financial violence that takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship and that forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behavior. This can include forced marriage and so-called 'honor crimes'. Domestic violence may include a range of abusive behaviors, not all of which are in themselves inherently 'violent'. http://www.womensaid.org.uk

And as defined by Telford and Wrekin council domestic abuse is “any violent or abusive behavior used by one person to dominate and control another within a close personal or family relationship”. “Physical, (kicking, punching etc), emotional, (bullying, isolation, undermining), verbal, (name calling, shouting etc), threatening, (to harm, kill another, including pets or yourself), or financial, (not allowing money, personal items etc)” Telford and Wrekin, council Community Living)
Needs for promoting awareness of Domestic violence
Domestic abuse is a “social illness” and social taboo which affects 1 in 4 woman and 1 in 6 men in the UK. UK police receive a call reporting domestic abuse every 60 seconds. On average, 35 attacks before a
woman seeks help”. According to Telford and Wrekin
0623094 june mackendrick
Council, (community living web page, Woman as victims)
“The figures on the extent of violence against men vary; however, the 2001/02 British Crime Survey (BCS) found that 19% of domestic violence incidents reported were male victims and just under half of these were by a female perpetrator”.
The cost of Domestic abuse is outlines by Baker, I (2007) in his report no blame no shame, (2002 – 2007 ) is that there were 1827 incidents of domestic violence reported to the police from 1st April 2002 to 31st March 2003, which was an increase of 5.5% compared to the same period from previous years.
Of course the real cost is much higher if we consider the knock on affect and emotional and physiological
Effects on the children, family friends and other associates of victims of domestic abuse.
The above statistics suggest that for every 1000 female attending TCAT, (including staff), 250 will experience Domestic abuse within their life time and for every 1000 males including staff, 166 will experience Domestic abuse.
This suggests a need to heighten awareness within the college of this social taboo.
Aims and objectives
Domestic violence is a serious 'hidden social issue and taboo subject that can affect many people within the family, not just adults, but children are affected by what is seen or heard or are themselves victims of the violence.
With such high statistics the issue remains a taboo subject s largely as a result of shame, fear and stereotyping and therefore remains a hidden social illness.
Therefore the aim and objectives of this promotion is to raise awareness of the issue.
The awareness campaign
The team, Jacqueline Haynes, June Mackendrick and Duncan Vincent were each responsibly for individual tasks relating to aspects of the presentation.
Jacqueline was responsibly for the display stand presentation and shopping for items for this and for contacting cab for promotional materials and putting together questionnaire.

Duncan contacted west Marcia police and Telford and Wrekin council for information and hand outs and
leaflets and put together facts and figure for display purpose also compiling a useful telephone helpline sheet for the stand.
June compiled a PowerPoint presentation with facts and figures on the subject to be displayed on stand in video form with music that was hoped would draw the younger audience to the stand, a poem on social taboo for display was also written. She also contacted woman’s aid for promotional materials and information.
Evaluation
The overall response to the health promotion was good and received a lot of interest from students. Female students seemed to be more aware of the issue and
facts and the general consensus was that there was a need for public awareness to be raised in order to eradicate not just the issue itself but the connected stigma attached to this social taboo.